17th Pokhara Festival to kick off next week

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Kathmandu / December 21: The 17th Pokhara Street Festival will kick off next week with the main theme ‘Let us eat, dance and have fun on the street’.

The Restaurant and Bar Association of Nepal (REBAN) is organizing the annual festive event from December 28 to January 1 to promote Pokhara’s internal and external tourism. The street festival will be held across the renowned Lakeside area and from Sahid Chowk to Khahare-Dihikopatan area covering a total of around three and a half kilometres of streets.

Apart from prime attractions an entertainment programme will be held in Basundhara Park while special discounts will be offered in the menus of the hotels and restaurants. The festival will showcase procession by different organizations, competitions, local ethnic communities’ cultural exhibitions, Chitwan’s Tharu cultural dance troupes, peculiar performances of Mustang Lomanthang cultural group, Purwanchal Kirant group, Lamjung Ghalegaun group and international cultural groups from China and South Korea, the organizers said.

In a statement, REBAN said the festival will also hold sporting events, photo exhibition, adventurous and entertainment activities and screen documentaries.

At a press conference, REBAN Chairman Pramod Kumar Jaiswal said the street festival will promote tourism not only in Pokhara but also throughout the country.

REBAN Pokhara Chairman Gopi Krishna Bhattarai said arrangements were being put in place for street security and necessary health related contingencies for the festival. He added that sanitation has also been given a special focus.

The street festival will also feature REBAN Bar, street dramas and international food items while various promos will be held in Bhairahawa, Chitwan and Kathmandu targeting the festival in the offing. RSS